Drivers warned to avoid 'dangerous' problem caused by bright headlights

Drivers believe some car headlights have become too bright (stock) (Image: Getty)

Motorists with bright headlights have been warned they could 'blind' other drivers on the roads.

It comes after RAC called on the government to commission an independent study about headlight glare after discovering 85% of drivers believe the problem is getting worse. Published at the start of the year, an RAC survey of 2,000 drivers found almost nine in 10 (89%) think at least some headlights on cars on the road today are too bright, of which close to three in 10 (28%) – a higher proportion than ever – believe most are.

Of the all these drivers who complain about the brightness of car headlights, some 91% say they get dazzled when driving, with three-quarters (74%) saying this happens regularly. When it comes to the effects of glare on drivers, two-in-three (67%) who suffer say they have to slow down considerably until they can see clearly again, while a similar proportion (64%) believe some headlights are so bright they risk causing accidents.

Five per cent of these drivers state they have nearly been involved in a collision themselves. It prompted social media users to flood the MSE Forum with complaints about the brightness of lights on some modern vehicles.

One user said: "Car lights have become far too bright and are damn dangerous. For the first time for a few years I had to drive long distance at night, mainly on the motorway. My eyes are good for long distance so I don't wear glasses.

"One issue which stood out for me was the brightness of headlights, both head on and in the mirrors. When dazzled, what we should be concentrating on (other vehicles, cyclists, signs, pedestrians) are far less visible. Perhaps the length of time since my last night driving makes it more obvious to me, because all the culprits are modern cars with bright LEDs.

"Older cars like my own don't dazzle at all, but of course neither do they light up the road ahead to the same degree." Suggesting a possible solution, they added: "What is needed is a form of turning down the headlight brightness, at least on well lit roads, where bright car lights are more likely to hinder rather than help society in general."

However, another user claims drivers create the problem because they don't know how to correctly adjust their own lights. They said: "There are those with badly adjusted lights or just have too much weight in the rear and no auto levelling and they haven't used the adjuster on the dashboard.

"If set up correctly then they shouldn't glare anyone. Lights have become whiter but the space they fill has not changed and is still regulated. Having whiter lights is a huge improvement over the old yellow ones. As cars now move to laser lights the control will be even greater allowing for more accurate direction and with AI they can single out items to not be illuminated."

A third user said: "I do drive one of those modern cars with LED headlights. These are the type that automatically direct the beam to avoid dazzling oncoming car drivers or of cars you are following and I have to say they work brilliantly, and in the 2 and a half years I have not had anyone flash me."